Imaging technology from BIR member GE Healthcare was available for early diagnosis and treatment support of over 10,000 athletes from 200 countries competing in the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Advanced MRI, CT, x-ray, ultrasound and ECG equipment supported by a GE HCIT solution helped to ensure that the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) could deliver on their promise of providing a world class imaging and medical service at the Polyclinic in the Athletes’ Village.
While full data from the Polyclinic is yet to be released, figures from a three-week period taken two weeks before the Games started show that Polyclinic staff carried out 1,135 imaging exams, of which 564 were MRI, 259 x-ray, 254 ultrasound and 58 CT. On the busiest weekend of this period, 52 MRI exams were carried out in a single day using the two GE Healthcare MRI machines.
GE Healthcare worked closely with the medical team at LOCOG to ensure that the equipment was installed and working to its highest potential in addition to providing full training for the team of medical ‘Games Makers’ who had volunteered to work in the Polyclinic during the Games.
In addition to the imaging equipment supporting human athletes at the Polyclinic, GE Healthcare’s advanced ultrasound technology ensured that equine athletes also received excellent care at Greenwich Park.
Ultrasound equipment was used primarily for musculoskeletal imaging and to assess any trauma sustained during events such as the cross-country where an early and accurate diagnosis can support the best possible treatment.
